What Dreams May Come
by SakuraIro25
Summary: Updated chapters 7-8! Set only slightly before Tokyo Babylon, Seishirou is determined to find out just what makes the Sumeragi tick. Why not invade his dreams?
1. Taking Great Care

Series: Tokyo Babylon, slightly before the first tankubon.   
Date: 10/24/03  
Rating: PG for shonen-ai and horrible misuse of a sumeragi   
Disclaimer: CLAMP owns Tokyo Babylon, I don't. And I'm writing these characters agaisnt their will. Subaru himself would probably swear to hunt me down if he read this, so I'm denying all claim to the series to protect myself from lawsuits, or worse, an attack from shikigami.   
  
  
  
**What Dreams May Come**   
  
  
  
Despite her passionate love of sleep, Hokuto was an early riser. She had to be, to take care of her only brother who definitely didn't know how to take care of himself. Subaru, he'd waste away if it wasn't for Hokuto's cooking, or worse, he'd be a fashion disaster if Hokuto didn't design his wardrobe for him. Seriously!   
  
And it had been only a month since they moved to Tokyo on their own. Subaru had demanded that he have his own apartment, for "privacy reasons", but Hokuto spent more time at her brother's place, practicing her domestic arts. She finished making breakfast at Subaru's apartment at exactly 6:45. She'd decided on American-style this morning, so the rich smell of coffee wafted with the spicy smell of sausage. Surely that would entice Subaru to eat something.   
  
By 6:47, Hokuto was worried. Not even a peep from her brother, not a single sign of life. Resolute in her mission, she crept stealthily up to his room and knelt over his futon.   
  
Something was wrong. Immediately, she could sense residual jitsu lingering in the room.   
  
Masaka... Was Subaru was doing it in his sleep...? The backlash from that would be overwhelming, maybe even fatal.   
  
No. Her brother wasn't careless.   
  
She knitted her brows. What was that light? A faint silver-blue glow radiated from his chest through the light blanket, or make that his hands which were folded over his chest. Arms crossed, hands resting on opposite shoulders.   
  
Panic began to overtake Hokuto, but she forced herself to be rational. Subaru probably overworked himself and stayed up until early morning to finish a job. That would explain the aura. But the light... and the crossed arms in the spooky posture? She had to wake him, quickly.   
  
"Subaru, me o samashite! ...You need to get up! Subaru!" She lifted the corner of the blanket, and her brother's eyes snapped open. He was breathing heavily, as if he'd had a nightmare.   
  
"H-Hokuto-chan!! What are you doing here?"   
  
She paused. "What do you mean, what am I doing here? I'm your sister, and I'm allowed." Her voice wavered, caught between concern and uneasiness.   
  
Subaru was clenching his hands under his forearms. "Gomen, nee-san... You startled me, that's all."   
  
"Subaru, something's wrong. I can see it in your eyes." His pupils were dilated, he was breathing heavily. "Warui yume mitta ka?"   
  
"Iie... I really don't remember. Could you give me a minute to get dressed?"   
  
"Well, of course..." she rose to leave. There was a wall between them now, and it seemed thicker than ever. "Breakfast is ready for you," she said to fill the awkward silence.   
  
Subaru frowned. He was sorry, but he wasn't sure how to express it in words. It wasn't exactly lying to Hokuto, but he had secrets now, and that distanced him from his twin. "Hokuto, forgive me... Just, please, I don't want to talk about this." The was a steel edge to his voice that told her he was apologetic, yet serious in his request.   
  
"Don't worry about it." She gave him a sad smile at the doorway, then left to the kitchen.   
  
Immediately, Subaru was painfully alone. He flopped backwards and raised his hands above his head, staring at the vivid scar pattern. Hokuto was right, there was something wrong. His nightmare must have triggered the reaction, even if he couldn't remember exactly what he had dreamed.   
  
It must have been about the Sakurazukamori.   
  
---   
  
Sakurazuka Seishirou tapped the bottom portion of the x-ray slide. "It seems Neko-san has broken her right paw. Would it be alright if I wrap it to secure it for her?"   
  
"She'll be okay, right Sakurazuka-sensei?" asked the small boy, stroking her fur reassuringly.   
  
The veterinarian beamed from behind his glasses. "She'll be just fine. She's going to stay here with me for a little while until she's better, okay?" The young owner looked sad to part from her, but agreed out of concern for his furry friend.   
  
And as the day pulled to a close, and Seishirou cleared his office of the day's work. He filed the appropriate papers, wiped down the surfaces, and turned off all of the lights. Before leaving, he checked in with the animals in the back room, carefully checking their levels of water and food. He closed the front door, locked it, and began his commute to the apartment.   
  
Days were usually this organized and predictable. Seishirou had a schedule and a plan which he followed with utmost care, healing pets which needed aid. It was respectable, it was admirable, and Seishirou was known in the area for being the most kind and gentle practitioner of animal medicine.   
  
Entering his small but stylishly minimalist apartment, Seishirou took off his jacket and hung it on the coat hook of the entryway. His keys were placed similarly on a smaller hook. His shoes came off next, followed by his nonprescription glasses, and putting on his fuzzy house slippers he made his way to the home office to see what new faxes had arrived.   
  
There was only one this evening. Tree-san would have to suffice, but that would mean Seishirou had more time to do what he liked. He reheated some takeout, set water to boil for tea, and smiled, planning what to do with his night.   
  
Before 11:30 that evening, Seishirou had done the job, showered, pinned a note of apology to his dry cleaning ("Please excuse the stains, I couldn't ignore stray Pochi-san who was hit by a car"), and even changed into more… appropriate clothing.   
  
The night was now his to do with what he wished.   
  
---   
  
Subaru drew is covers more closely around him and wove a subtle jitsu around the room to protect from stray disquieted spirits. It wouldn't do much for his nightmares, but it'd prevent them from being worse than they already were. A spirit in agony would be drawn to distress and amplify it, and his dreams were bad enough already without a second consciousness in the area. He would be overloaded.   
  
The Sumeragi didn't even bother taking off his gloves before going to bed. This morning when Hokuto had crept into his room… it was an event he didn't feel like repeating. He figured he just wouldn't take them off anymore. That's all. He cleared his mind of all thought, meditating briefly before settling into a light sleep.   
  
Predictably, the nightmare surfaced again, beginning with the subtle shift in smell.   
  
He knew he was dreaming because he was unable to use his jitsu – it was like being numbed. During dreams, he couldn't sense immediate danger, as if he were blindfolded magically. He confirmed that he was dreaming when he attempted to reach out gingerly with his power, and felt nothing. He inhaled deeply, noticing that the air blew slightly cooler and more fragrant, smelling of something in between tiger lily and strawberry. An icy lurch in the pit of his stomach warned him to prepare for the worst.   
  
He slowly looked around him, and realized he was suspended in a blood-red dreamscape again. A figure was approaching from the distance. He tried to call out, but his voice was absorbed in the surroundings; the silence was unnerving and wrong.   
  
"Sakurazukamori" his brain supplied before Subaru could think, and the mad grin on the figure's face confirmed it.   
  
He was coming nearer, and there was nothing he could do. He swallowed heavily and tried to brace himself for an attack, but his pulse and breathing gave him away. A light sheen of sweat reflected the eerie crimson light on his skin, and the assassin crept closer and closer.   
  
The dark onmyouji paused approximately a yard from Subaru. His voice was like a honey-coated razor, "You're so beautiful."   
  
That was the last thing Subaru expected to hear. Threats, incantations, anything would have been more appropriate. Unsolicited compliments? Hell, nothing got under Subaru's skin more than that. He wanted to react violently. He wanted to attack this predator, but he made the fatal mistake of looking up into his eyes.   
  
Liquid gold met softest jade, and a small bird was enchanted by a vicious snake. He couldn't move, he was frozen, trapped in the dangerous, ethereal beauty of those eyes. He squirmed uncomfortably, noticing that he was trapped more than psychologically – something prevented his limbs from their free movement.   
  
And the assassin closed the gap between them.   
  
The predator purred with contentment, pressing his cheek against the young onmyouji's chest. Subaru's breathing involuntarily sped up. "Your pulse," cooed the evil man, "it's so quick, isn't it? I like that."   
  
Subaru wanted desperately to get away. He wanted to wake up. He wanted to be as far away from this man as possible, but he also wanted to hear that delicious voice again. Subaru whimpered as his emotions conflicted painfully within him. He closed his eyes, blocking out any extra stimulus.   
  
Before he could resolve the inner conflict, and before he registered significance of the sudden contact, something warm and sweet closed around Subaru's mouth, petal soft, gently moving against his lips. The gentleness surprised Subaru, and he inaudibly whimpered against the feather-like pressure. His lips parted in surprise, and something else, something nearly white hot, yet marvelously sweet entered. Pleasure welled up inside of him, saturating his brain and spilling out down his cheeks.   
  
"You are mine," registered in Subaru's consciousness, and as quickly as the kiss had begun, it ended. The tongue flicked out to catch one of the droplets on his cheekbone.   
  
"I… I am…" he sighed, unable to finish the phrase. Soft hands drifted across Subaru's neck, pausing once again over his rapid pulse.   
  
"You are mine," the thought came again, and a hand clasped his, bringing it up to the dark onmyoji's face. Lips brushed over the sensitive skin on the back of his hand, and the pentagrams flared dangerously. It stung, yet it tingled enticingly. White hot nerves were soothed by a balm of rich pleasure, and Subaru wasn't sure if he liked the intense feeling or not.   
  
A hand met his eyes, blocking his view, and the dreamscape sifted. The world righted itself beneath him, and he could feel his futon solidly under his back once more. He realized he was still in his own familiar room, where nothing had changed.   
  
It was just a dream.   
  
Yet his hands still burned with a dull ache. He slowly opened his eyes again, peeled back the silk of his gloves, and frowned at the scar pattern.   
  
And it was a few minutes until he realized he couldn't remember what he had been dreaming about. The memory had dissolved, been diluted in the familiar atmosphere of his room, and try as he could, he couldn't recapture it.   
  
---   
  
Seishirou's night had been a productive one. He retuned to his apartment, only slightly fatigued. He could get six hours of sleep and still be at the clinic by 8:00am, which was more than enough rest for him.   
  
His hobby was also well worth it.   
  
He smiled to himself and reluctantly went to shower once again, reminding himself that altering someone's memory shouldn't have any unforeseen long term effects. He had remembered to leave a scrap this time, just enough to allow him to go a little further in the future, but not so much as to preclude the game by giving it all away. No, he had to tread the razor's edge in leaving just enough of the memory to make the game interesting.   
  
He remembered to set the coffee maker, his alarm clock, and the dish washer to start running. He put his dry cleaning by the door so he wouldn't forget it in the morning rush.   
  
Seishirou took good care of his belongings.   
  
"Pleasant dreams," he whispered to the night as he drew his curtains against the city lights.   
  
-------   
  
  
  
**Subaru:** "I _OBJECT!_ I don't rememeber ANY of this! What do you think you're doing... It's just wrong!"   
**Gray:** "Well, that's the point. You wouldn't remember any of it anyway, would you?"   
**Suabru:** "I'm telling you, I did NOT have crazy dreams like that!"   
**Gray:** "Sure, sure. And you're _so_ naive in the manga. If you weren't thinking these ecchi things subconsciously, why'd you so violently react to the jokes?"   
**Subaru:** *blushes and stammers*   
**Seishirou:** *pops up* "You're awfully cute when you do that, you know."   
**Subaru:** "Shut _UP!_ All of you!"   
**Gray:** "Ah, Sei-chan, I think we broke him..."   
**Seishirou:** "I object as well. I'm not THAT twisted. And I'm a little dissapointed you didn't go with your earlier inspiration and make this an R rated fic. A kiss was _hardly_ what you had in mind."   
**Gray:** "I think Subaru would have died of mortification."   
**Seishirou:** "I'll accpet your excuse for now... but I'm still not thrilled by it. It could have been _much_ longer, you know."   
**Gray:** "Fine, fine. Convince Subaru that it'd be a good idea. Maybe then I'll try again." 

WDMC Ch.2

Gray M&M's Fanfiction


	2. Crafting a Plan

Series: Tokyo Babylon, before the first tankubon.   
Rating: PG for shonen-ai and horrible misuse of a sumeragi   
Disclaimer: CLAMP owns Tokyo Babylon, I don't. The muses made me do it. Should either Onmyouji kill me in my sleep, I bequeath all possessions to my roomate, Kate. Should I be sued for copyright, I defer all accusation to my roomate as well ^^.   
Notes: Since this part doesn't even have an encounter in it, there will be more to come... I'm doing this chapter because 1) I'm procrastinating on a handful of english papers 2) you shouldn't trust an amatur to write smut, not yet, and 3) you guys seemed to like the predatory Sei-chan. I get hyper and happy over responses, both positive and negaive, so I'll be much obliged if you let me know what you think. Yay!   
  
----   
**Seishirou:** Please?   
**Subaru:** No.   
**Seishirou:** ...Please?   
**Subaru:** No.   
**Seishirou:** *whispering velvet tones directly in Subaru's sensative ear*   
**Subaru:** Ack! _NO!!_   
  
**Seishirou:** Well, it was worth a try. *shrug*   
**Gray:** *pats Sei-chan for his efforts*   
----   
  
  
  
**What Dreams May Come - Chapter 2**   
  
Subaru awoke to the smell of coffee and muffins; Hokuto must be at it again. He appreciated the kind gesture on his sister's part, because they both knew he wouldn't eat the most important meal of the day if it weren't for her intervention. He got up, absently rubbing the back of his hands, and the thought struck him - he'd dreamed again.   
  
It unnerved him that he couldn't remember what it had been about, but the residual feeling told him it was a nightmare. Dreams, when Subaru had them, might be precognition visions, so they couldn't be ignored. He felt exhausted, even though he'd slept for more than... nine hours? It seemed he'd really only gotten five, probably less. It bothered him; what had he dreamed about? He closed his eyes and laid back down to focus. Sometimes you could recapture a dream that way, but nothing came. There was only darkness.   
  
He focused on the feeling, trying to refine it into an image.   
  
A man   
  
Gee, that was useful. He rolled his eyes mentally, then a second thought overlaid the first.   
  
Danger   
  
He let his thoughts drift and bob in the emotion, desperate to interpret what had happened.   
  
A man he knew, and danger to himself. The scars. An acute desire. To belong.   
  
Subaru patiently waited for further clarity, but beyond these fragments, nothing came. He'd just have to accept that he wouldn't be able to understand them this time, and he knew from experience that if it was precognition, it would come again until he either understood the meaning, or until it was too late to do anything.   
  
"Subaru~~! Your breakfast will got cold if you don't come down and ea~t something!"   
  
He smiled. What would he do without Hokuto? "Hai, suguni ikimasu yo. Just give me a minute?" He double-checked his gloves. The scars were shining, but through the thick black material, no one would ever guess. It felt awkward to hide things from his twin, his other half, but he reminded himself that it was for the best.   
  
Breakfast passed uneventfully. If Hokuto noticed his behavior was a little off, she didn't say anything about it. They chatted about the new job Subaru had gotten, how big of an honor it was to be working for the Chamber of Public History, investigating a few odd artifacts the archaeologists discovered while renovating an ancient district of Kyoto. It was rumored they were shards of the katana used in the revolution, and that they were still haunted by restless spirits, but Suabru had his doubts. Many 'haunted' items he was called to exorcise were just plain bits of metal or glass, devoid of spiritual energy, but the people who owned them were superstitious and flighty.   
  
He nibbled at the blueberry muffin and took a small sip of milk. His lips tingled.   
  
"-- and like I was saying, you know you're the youngest person to work for the DPH in three decades, and... Subaru? You alright?"   
  
He had passed out on the floor.   
  
"SUBARU!"   
  
Luckily for the both of them, it was only a small faint. He came around in the next minute, blinking up at his sister, mumbling, "Ah... gomen nasai... I guess I was more hungry than I thought, huh?"   
  
Actually, it was the combination of sleep deprivation, mild dehydration, and stress from the sharp fragment of dream all together at once that made him black out, but he couldn't well explain that to Hokuto. He couldn't even explain the dream to himself without getting confused, so it was a lost cause to try and articulate that he had dreamed of being kissed by a handsome stranger. A male one. And that he had enjoyed it. God forbid Hokuto know; she'd probably conjure up wacky ideas about "fated love" and tease him about being perverted in thinking about men that way. Not an option.   
  
"Ano... I think I'll spend the rest of the day in bed, if that's alright." He smiled weakly.   
  
"Hah! You'd better. If you even *think* about going out, I'll have to personally restrain you."   
  
---   
  
Seishirou's clinic was bustling. Here was an iguana who wouldn't eat regularly, a pregnant field mouse, kittens who needed their baby shots, and even a rabbit who was changing color. He smiled and welcomed each new patron who entered, despite his underlying annoyance. People could be so ignorant about animals; it was brain-bleedingly annoying how stupid they could *actually* be.   
  
He tried to be patient with the girl in braids who'd begun to cry. He spoke in a calm, professional voice, "I understand you're concerned, but I can assure you that it's natural. With the shorter daylight hours because it's nearly winter, usagi-chan here is just adapting to the seasons. She looks like snow when it gets cold, isn't that interesting?"   
  
All day, his thoughts were focused elsewhere.   
  
He contemplated the current situation with the boy. Unless he grossly underestimated his plaything's power, Subaru would only be able to remember the vaguest wisps of their encounters. It was Seishirou's safeguard against premature discovery. But it also meant that he had to begin again each and every night, readjusting Subaru to his presence.   
  
There was a fine line - seduction was fun, but rape was not. By morning, Subaru wouldn't even know they'd met, so getting the Sumeragi used to physical affection was tricky.   
  
Each time they kissed, it was Subaru's   
**  
very   
first   
time.**   
  
And Seishirou was growing impatient.   
  
Was the simple solution was to let his plaything remember the physical sensations of the encounter?   
  
Well, that wasn't so simple. Memory was a tricky thing, dependant on things like smell, touch, sight, and every other sense, and to block a memory meant blocking every sensation related to the event. It wouldn't work.   
  
He resigned himself. It seemed that the most practical method would be to just discover what was most effective in Subaru's seduction. He would need to find out, through trial and error, where Subaru's limits were. He would have to know what made his toy work, when to kiss, when to pull away.   
  
It seemed great fun.   
  
Ideally, he'd be able to encounter the boy, reduce him to a puddle of goo, then bed him before sunrise. Seishirou smirked. It was a challenge worthy of accepting.   
  
But it wouldn't be easy: Subaru seemed awfully naïve, _let alone_ unaware of the possibility of same-gender relationships…   
  
And he probably wouldn't be less than chaste in any situation, regardless. It'd take all of the man's skill to break down the boy's defenses.   
  
Luckily, Seishirou had all the time he needed to perfect his methods. It would be like taking a course on the Sumeragi; once he'd perfected the art of seduction, he would formally introduce himself and begin the bet.   
  
Was that an unfair advantage?   
  
If it were, it would be entirely on the Sumeragi's side.   
  
Seishirou knew that he would find it difficult to be cold against innocent love. Making the boy love him was… let's say, evening out the playing field a little bit. As it stood presently, Seishirou had no reason to feel anything but ownership for his possession. It would be sportsman-like to at least give him a weapon of his own… Something that made the bet more of a challenge.   
  
He would learn how to make Subaru fall in love.   
  
  
_(Author's comment: Woah, It actually turned out rational?! You've got to give it to Sei-chan for being able to justify **anything**... seducing Subaru *somehow* makes sense when you put it in that light.)_   
  
---   
  
Subaru finally persuaded Hokuto to leave him alone for a few hours. He'd changed back into his polka-dot pajamas and made a cup of warm tea to soothe his jumbled emotions. Subaru was jumpy; sudden movement and noise made him reflexively reach for his ofuda, and he _hated_ losing control of his power over his mind.   
  
He decided to meditate.   
  
Regaining his center was usually easy, but this time it kept avoiding his grasp. Maybe if he'd *found* his center, he wouldn't like what he saw…   
  
It kept bothering him – he had dreamed of being kissed **deeply** by an older man, and he had enjoyed the contact.   
  
Maybe dreams were more abstract than he thought. Surely one dream of one encounter with a strange man didn't mean he was weird… Oh forget it. He wasn't going to even consider the possibility.   
  
Subaru shook himself.   
  
He was not a homosexual.   
He was not hallucinating about various fantasies.   
He was the 13th head of the Sumeragi Clan.   
And he needed a shower.   
  
---   
  
  
  
**Gray:** Sei-chan, you amaze me!   
**Subaru:** Oh, give it a rest. You're just brown-nosing now.   
**Gray:** And what if I am? ...You're not getting jealous or anything, are you?   
**Subaru:** Of course not. I know you're infatuated with him, but if you take him away from me, you'd be writing a Mary-Sue. And we all know you wouldn't do that.   
**Gray:** *glint*   
**Subaru:** ...I'm not even going to dignify that with a respone. *walks away*   
  
**Gray:** So, Sei-chan! Thanks for rescuing me from writing smut with a non-consenting Subaru.   
**Seishirou:** My pleasure. He's much more fun when he's conflicted. And rape, even in a 'dream' is so messy...   
**Gray:** So wait, are you influencing his dreams, or actually visiting him?   
**Seishirou:** Maboroshi, actually. Then erasing his memory.   
**Gray:** You're such a bastard.   
**Seishirou:** Oh, stop it already. *grin* 


	3. Cursed Katana

Series: Tokyo Babylon, before the first tankubon.   
Rating: PG for shonen-ai and horrible misuse of a sumeragi, this chapter R for strong language   
Disclaimer: CLAMP owns Tokyo Babylon, I don't. The muses made me do it. Should either Onmyouji kill me in my sleep, I bequeath all possessions to my roomate, Kate. Should I be sued for copyright, I defer all accusation to my roomate as well ^^.   
Notes: Wow, so the plot-kami settled on my shoulders tonight after midnight and made me write this. I hope it's not too random for you guys. And I promise, Seishirou's got something up his sleeve for Subaru in the next chapter...! He's just got to work up to it. Think picnic. Think grapes. ^^; All chanting in this chapter is taken from the first tankubon, and grossly out of context.   
  
  
**What Dreams May Come - Chapter 3**   
  
Luckily, Subaru managed to get a few nights of dreamless sleep before his job with the historical society. He was alert and refreshed in time for the initial interview on Thursday afternoon, and Hokuto had even taken him out for lunch.   
  
While they were eating, Hokuto carefully brought up the subject about Subaru's fainting spell. The onmyouji dismissed it as nothing more than a low glucose level. "I just hadn't eaten much for dinner, you know… and since it was before breakfast…"   
  
Hokuto reached out and grabbed her twin's hand. "Subaru, it's something more than that. I can tell even if you can't, you know. There's something seriously bothering you lately, isn't there?"   
  
Subaru grimaced. "Ano… There might be," he took a painful gulp and avoided her eyes.   
  
"If it gets in the way of your work, I'll never forgive you! After all, you're a pro, ne?" It was Hokuto's way of cheering him up, letting him know she believed in him, no matter what. He smiled and squeezed her hand.   
  
He half-smiled. "Thanks, nee-chan."   
  
"We still have an hour before Tamasaki-sensei wants to speak with you… want to get some ice cream?"   
  
Subaru's answering grin was more than worth it. It broke through his features like sunshine, pouring out and illuminating his delicate features. It saddened Hokuto that her brother hadn't looked like this in several weeks, and suddenly, she felt resolved to protect him against whatever prevented him from smiling like this. Goodness knows Subaru deserved it more than anyone else.   
  
---   
  
"So what you're saying is, the fragments of sword you've unearthed have been making strange sounds and moving short distances on their own?"   
  
"Basically that's it. We'd like you to do a quick analysis of the pieces, and an exorcism, if necessary…" Tamasaki looked anxious and slightly incredulous of the character standing before him. The young man couldn't be more than fourteen or fifteen, and he looked horribly unprofessional clad in yellow velvet and spring green. The medium looked like a grasshopper too small for his own skin, and about twice as jumpy. Could this honestly be the nation's spiritual leader?   
  
"No problem," the youth answered, looking tremendously relieved. "It could have been worse."   
  
"Eto… You don't say?" Tamasaki's hand tightened unconsciously on the edge of the glossy conference table, turning his knuckles pale.   
  
"Well, for example, the shards could have been animated by a frustrated 'senshi-gami' or could have begun randomly attacking members of your archaeology team. Artifacts of this nature, when possessed, usually are fairly violent. You're lucky to have come across so passive a sample."   
  
"Um-er-yes."   
  
"Would you mind if I get started right away?" Subaru blinked up at the fidgety professor, who readily nodded in approval.   
  
"Do whatever you wish."   
  
"Thank you," he smiled.   
  
---   
  
They found the sword downstairs in the analysis lab, spread across a white terry-cloth towel. The metal was abused and rusted. Many people wouldn't have recognized it for a sword if it weren't arranged in its reconstructive pattern on the tray. Subaru paused as he bent over the splinters of the once-great katana.   
  
He looked up at the white-faced professor, "Could I be left alone for a little while?"   
  
"Er-certainly. Whatever you need. Is there anything else you might?"   
  
"Ano… where could I find a pitcher of water?"   
  
He walked to the counter on the far wall and drew a full beaker from the tap. "Will this do?" he asked, cautiously, offering the flask.   
  
Subaru nodded and accepted the liquid, and the professor hastily withdrew, leaving the boy alone to study the artifact.   
  
He withdrew several ofuda. "…on sanmaji handomei kiriku… on sanmaji handomei kiriku…" The chanting was low and rhythmic, intended to draw out whatever spirit lurked within the area. His brows were knitted in neat concentration, and his hands were folded in a gesture of both power and composure.   
  
Interesting. After more than five minutes, he should have been able to sense a presence. But nothing came.   
  
He tried again, this time pouring water at his feet and chanting louder, "On! Bazara daruma kiri sowaka! …On! Bazara daruma kiri sowaka!"   
  
The fluid at his toes exploded and began swirling in a complicated circular pattern around the medium. Subaru's face was at complete calm, however. He controlled the seeming chaos with ease, chanting to forcefully extricate the stubborn presence.   
  
The water began to evaporate.   
  
The jitsu began to lose its effectiveness.   
  
Subaru began to breathe more forcefully.   
  
He would extract this spirit or die trying; he was after all, a pro. He gritted his teeth and continued.   
  
---   
  
Seishirou got off work early Thursday evening to go shopping. He needed to find something, some kind of prop to help him in his mission. Anything would be fine, really, because he wasn't sure what the boy's preferences were just yet.   
  
He began window-shopping in one of the department stores in Ikebukuro.   
  
He was approached. "Sir, may I help you with anything?" asked the too-friendly assistant.   
  
Seishirou decided to take advantage of the help and smiled amiably. "That would be so kind of you. I'm actually looking for something to use on a date. I'm just not sure what kind of date they would like. What would your ideal date be, kawaii onee-chan?"   
  
She blushed faintly at the drop-dead gorgeous patron. If he was handsome from a distance, he was positively *seductive* up close. She licked her lips unconsciously and fought for her composure under the man's stare.   
  
She looked upward and caught an eyeful of his pouty lips. Why was it so hard to stand, all of a sudden? Wobbly, she replied… "Candlelight, flowers, a long walk on the soft sands of the beach, moonlight and starlight reflecting off the sea." Dammit. When had she become a sappy poet? She cursed herself quickly.   
  
"Hmm," came the purring, liquid chord. "Where can I find some candles? Maybe a picnic basket too, if it isn't too much trouble."   
  
Had he just *winked* at her?   
  
"Oh… no trouble at all, it's my pleasure."   
  
---   
  
Seishirou had found several interesting items in his shopping trip, and if Subaru was anything like the young assistant, he would definitely not be needing much time after all. The thought pleased him, so he treated himself to a drink on his way home.   
  
The bar was crowded, as usual. Seishirou detested being shoulder to shoulder with the salarymen who frequented the bar this time of day, so he took a small table in the corner to order his drink.   
  
"A bloody marry, if you would." But the title of the beverage drew his thoughts back to his night-job. Tree-san's complaining had gotten so bad that he accused it of being jealous. Tree-san immediately objected, but made Seishirou promise to treat him to something extra. "Fine. Whatever will make you happy," he'd finally agreed.   
  
So on top of his work schedule, he had to search out a new victim or two to placate the controlling sakura who ruled his life.   
  
Mattaku… worse than a woman. Of course, he thought this half-joking, lest the tree overhear his thought and take offense. An angered bloodthirsty tree was a damned unpleasant bloodthirsty tree. And where the hell was his alcohol?   
  
He eyed the other patrons carefully.   
  
Usually he looked for a victim who wouldn't be missed much by society. Young girls who didn't contribute to the workforce, elderly men who had gotten old and annoying. Seishirou believed there should be some reason in his work, after all. Taking out the useless parts of the well-oiled machine so it could run more smoothly.   
  
But today… Seishirou needed something different. His stomach felt tight, he'd been under considerable stress, and he hadn't seen Subaru in days because he wanted to be able to plan more effectively. The Sakurazukamori rested his chin on his hand wearily and sighed.   
  
A man, about 32 and dressed in a white lab coat, entered the bar hastily and pushed people out of the way to reach the bar. He demanded three shots, and on receiving them, drank them all in rapid succession. Something was obviously bothering him.   
  
Seishirou eyed him with interest, and on receiving his own drink, approached the bar himself. He stood alongside the man for a while, sipping carefully, waiting for the other man to speak first.   
  
"Oi, I could use one o' them…" he pointed at Seishirou's glass.   
  
Seishirou smiled. "I need this one, myself."   
  
"Yeah? What's up with you? I can bet it's not half so bad as what's got me."   
  
"Oh?"   
  
He was drunk already, and loose-lipped. "Yeah. I got an fucking ONMYOUJI on my tail here. Cute bastard, but gonna get me in a load of trouble, you know?"   
  
Seishirou was determined to milk every bit of information he could from the man. "You don't say… that sounds pretty rough. Let me buy you another shot or two. What's your name, by the way?"   
  
"Tamasaki. Tamasaki Kuroda. And thanks man… I owe ya one."   
  
Seishirou just nodded. "So about this onmy-whatsit?"   
  
Tamasaki laughed dryly. "Onmyouji. Spiritual leader. He's doing funky exorcisms in my lab right fucking now. Only, get this…" the man paused for dramatic effect, "there's no such thing as ghosts!" He laughed, a little too loudly.   
  
Seishirou chuckled. "I don't know about that. Spiritual energy can be quite a force to be reckoned with, I'm told…"   
  
"Yeah? Well what if I told you I made it all up, and my superiors pulled the big guns and brought in the fucking Sumeragi clan leader? And all the while it was just me, making up spooky stories about the artifact I dug up…'m an archaeologist, by the way… so I can sell it to a private collector instead of keeping it in the museum. Now the little bastard's going to find me out… and I'm totally done for. Once he figures it out, my life is over. Finito. Roll credits."   
  
Seishirou made sense of the babbling as best he could. "I'm sure it's not as bad as all that," he finally managed.   
  
"Uh huh."   
  
"Can I ask a direct question?"   
  
"Sure. Go for it."   
  
"Do you honestly believe there's nothing more to live for once you've lost your work?"   
  
"Eh?"   
  
"I'm sorry. What I mean to say is that many people, like myself, take their work very seriously. To lose one's job is to lose one's sense of purpose in life. I can sympathize with you, because like you, I become my profession."   
  
"Oh yeah, and what's that?"   
  
A twinkle entered his eye. "A veterinarian."   
  
The older man laughed loudly again. "You don't say! I coulda sworn you'da been something like an undertaker or professional hitman or something. A vet? With cute fluffy puppies? That's just too much." He hiccupped. "You, sir, are not vet material."   
  
"I may be overstepping, but would you like to see what I do first-hand?" Seishirou smiled. "I'd love the chance to show you my work."   
  
He looked with glassy eyes at the dark figure. "Sure, why the hell not? I could use a distraction. Yorosh'ku."   
  
---   
  
Subaru was wearing himself out. He shook himself mentally before dropping his hands and falling to his knees. What was with this stupid sword, anyway? It was almost as if… as if…   
  
He wondered if he'd bothered checking for the presence of a displaced spirit in the first place.   
  
Ah, kami-sama…   
  
He closed his eyes, and reaching out with his inner calm, said a quick hello.   
  
Nothing came back, not even a whimper from a local spirit.   
  
He brushed his fingers over the corroded metal and didn't feel a hint of spiritual energy. It was cold and rough to the touch, and nothing more. It was dead; there was nothing attached to it.   
  
Subaru blinked several times and frowned.   
  
Confused and more than a little tired, he exited up the stairs from the lab to find Hokuto.   
  
"Nee-chan?"   
  
"Subaru! You certainly took a long time. You finally got it?"   
  
"Well, there was nothing to get… Where's Tamasaki-sensei? I need to speak with him. Is he around?"   
  
Hokuto fidgeted. "He left about three hours ago. I thought he'd be back by now… why don't we leave him a note?"   
  
---   
  
_Tamasaki-sensei,   
  
Didn't quite do the job – there seemed to be nothing to do.   
These things happen, so don't worry about the fee.   
Call when you get back, we need to talk.   
  
- Sumeragi Subaru _  
  
  
---   
  
The tree was happy. Seishirou washed his hands and straightened his clothes. Tomorrow night would be perfect, there would be no interruprions.   
  
"Ne, Subaru-kun?"   
  
He smiled a predator's smile and continued on his way.   
  
  
  
------   
  
More notes:   
  
Yoroshiku = "please take care of me"   
All the katana stuff = completely made up   
Subaru's chanting = stolen from the manga   
Tamasaki = kanji for "jewel" and "before". Precious things from the past.   
Kuroda = a character in Boogiepop Phantom   
The assisstant = token fangirl; she will return!   
  
  
**Gray:** "Whew! It's 3am, and I have an 8am class. Thank goodness I got this written..."   
**Subaru:** "You mean to say... you had me exorcising a PLAIN katana? Why didn't I realize that at the beginning? I'm not stupid."   
**Gray:** "Well, I didn't KNOW it wasn't possessed until Tamasaki started acting funny. And drinking. And then I found out. Sure, Sei-chan got to hear about it before you did, but that's not my fault."   
**Subaru:** "At least I'm sleeping decently in this chapter."   
**Gray:** "You're making up for me. Feel honored!"   
  
**Seishirou:** "I didn't get to see Subaru..?"   
**Subaru:** (honto ni arigatou gozaimashita!) *sweatdrop*   
**Gray:** "Don't worry. I've got something worth waiting for in the works."   
**Seishirou:** "Good, I've been patient for so long..." *cradles Subaru*   
**Subaru:** *meep* *blush*   
**Gray:** "Sei-chan, if you'll only be patient for ONE more chapter, I promise I'll let you molest Subaru to your heart's content. Okay?"   
**Seishirou:** "It'd better be a good scene." *huggles* *smooches on Su-chan's sensitive neck*   
**Gray:** Ryoukai!! ^^   
**Subaru:** *MEEP* 


	4. Unsettling Picnic

Series: Tokyo Babylon, before the first tankubon.   
Rating: PG for shonen-ai and horrible misuse of a sumeragi (this chapter R for mild adult situations)   
Disclaimer: CLAMP owns Tokyo Babylon, I don't. The muses made me do it.   
  
Notes: This was suprisingly hard for me to write - I'm sorry if it seems a little bit rushed. ...And if you're dissatisfied with the ending, blame Sei-chan. He's got so many plans, and it he got to the good stuff now, he wouldn't be able to put them into action seducing Subaru-kun. And yeah, I suck at writing the... physical stuff. Sorry, all!   
  
  
  
**What Dreams May Come - Chapter 4**   
  
It was after ten when Subaru finally returned to his apartment, and after midnight when he'd showered and settled into his bedroom. Worrying always made him restless. Since Tamasaki-sensei hadn't returned to the lab, he and Hokuto had been forced to leave without talking to him about the strange situation, and there was just something so wrong about the whole idea…   
  
It was disconcerting that Tamasaki-sensei hadn't come back.   
  
Subaru stared unseeingly into the darkness, and his mind ran in lazy circles. Hokuto had already left; without her constant reassurance, he was prone to self-doubt. He wondered if he'd done something wrong, something which had made the man uncomfortable? It was possible he'd just thought he as a professional onmyouji could handle it, but it turned out he hadn't been able to.   
  
He'd failed.   
  
Subaru swallowed. This wasn't his first job on his own, but it was the first one in his leadership of the clan, and he had not been able to finish it. What would Obaa-sama say? She would lecture him on responsibility and finishing what you start, no doubt. His eyes pricked uncomfortably, and he shifted under his covers.   
  
He felt totally and completely alone.   
  
---   
  
Stealthily as a panther, Seishirou wound his way through his prey's apartment. He inspected the items he passed carefully and nonchalantly, noticing with amusement how cute it was that the milk pitcher was in the shape of a cow. His table was strewn with animal hobbyist magazines.   
  
There was a scribbled note next to an open page describing care for a kitten, "A calico would be so cute! Let's go to the clinic to adopt one this weekend!! – Nee-sama". There was even a cartoon-like sketch of a cat's face, complete with large, round eyes, pointed ears, and whiskers. Seishirou couldn't help but smile; he absorbed the information and pocketed it in his mind for further use.   
  
He was drawn to the soft sounds coming from the back of the apartment, down a short hallway. The bedroom, undoubtedly. He crept slowly and deliberately toward his quarry, considering the whimpering noises; was Subaru-kun upset?   
  
He peered through a small gap silently pressed open in the door. Subaru was on his side, facing the far wall, and Seishirou took this as an invitation; he stepped in.   
  
Should he be caught, he would have no excuse, but this was of little importance. It had never mattered in the past. Subaru had always been more than a little surprised to find a stranger in his bedroom, but convinced it was a dream, accepted whatever happened with a certain detachment.   
  
One gloved hand reached up to dry his face as he rolled over and faced the dark onmyouji. Subaru wore gloves to bed now, to possibly protect himself from their nighttime encounters?   
  
Very cute, Subaru-kun.   
  
Seishirou shifted his containment maboroshi from the inky, ethereal black to a warm spring afternoon.   
  
With a thought, Subaru was now lying at the roots of a large tree, dressed in simple black and gray. The sun made light patterns through the leaves which sprinkled the surrounding grass, and somewhere far off, a bird was thankful for the sunshine.   
  
Subaru inhaled the new smell. It was earthy and clean. He was awake, yet his eyes were closed, and he was still feeling the full effects of his self-doubt. His cheeks were now dry, and he was no longer under the cover of his blanket. He opened his eyes, slowly, adjusting to the ambient brightness.   
  
There was a figure about ten feet from him, lounging on a crimson picnic blanket. Immediately Subaru recognized the man and blushed furiously.   
  
Seishirou barely restrained a chuckle. So the kid did remember something of their last encounter, if only vague impressions and emotions. He sat up slightly, invitingly.   
  
"Don't be so embarrassed, come over here and have something to eat, won't you?"   
  
Subaru could only nod. He wasn't sure what to expect, so he took refuge in following the request. There was a lot of food, and Subaru couldn't remember eating since before the disaster at the lab. He moved incautiously toward the spread. It didn't matter if the figure was a threat or not; he was still lightheaded from the tears, and he found he was acutely hungry...   
  
Of course, the boy was beautiful. But compounded with the simple wardrobe choice, the sob-reddened lips, and tear-deepened eyes, Seishirou found himself, for once, breathless. He could see the subtle lines of Subaru's frame. He'd retained his cute eyes from his childhood, but the aura around him was more complex, more darkly interesting.   
  
He wanted to possess this, to hold it in his hands, to understand it completely and be able to do with it what he wished. As it was now, the boy eluded him, was just slightly out of his reach. He could possess the young man physically if he wished, but the more fragile, delicate emotional layers were still kept from his grasp. He wanted. He passionately desired, but could not have.   
  
And he was staring.   
  
Subaru self-consciously bit down on a sandwich triangle and licked his lips of the residue mayonnaise. Food helped him feel better; it took the edge off his thoughts and made him more at ease with the man he was with.   
Yet the stranger just blinked.   
  
Subaru smiled with the intention of coaxing something out of his strange company. He began awkwardly, but gave diplomacy a valiant try.   
  
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I know your name."   
  
The man blinked; he was obviously not expecting the question. Nor had he prepared any answer. Best to go with the truth in this circumstance… "You can call me Seishirou, if you'd like," came the half-hesitant, yet fluid voice.   
  
Subaru looked at the man he was with as if it were the first time, though neither of them knew that to be true.   
  
Seishirou. A gentle-looking man dressed in a simple short-sleeved cotton button-down and black dress pants. This was nothing like his previous dreams, concluded Subaru with a half sigh, because what he remembered of the man who kissed him was his overpoweringly controlling nature. The casual man who was now nibbling on a cracker was nothing like that, but something told him they were the same figure.   
  
Yet the thought that this friendly man and the 'Sakurazukamori' were the same didn't inspire fear in Subaru; instead, it made him more relaxed. He didn't pose any threat right now, and Subaru was okay with that. It was a pleasant dream, and the sandwiches were rather tasty.   
  
Subaru reached for a second sandwich the same time the other did, and their hands collided. Seishirou's hand actually grasped Subaru's by mistake.   
  
The effect was violent and instantaneous.   
  
Subaru grabbed his hand back reflexively, pulling the man off balance and toward him, and Subaru found himself pinned against the thin fabric of the blanket, chest to chest with the larger figure.   
  
Thump.   
  
His heart raced, his blood rushed. He was more embarrassed than words could say. If he'd opened his mouth, he would have stuttered horribly and just embarrassed himself more.   
  
But Subaru didn't move to push the man away from him.   
  
On one level, Subaru actually enjoyed the contact, the human touch, and was gratified by the weight. He was warm, and he smelled like flowers and forest, electricity and rain. It was strange… yet oddly familiar.   
  
It was… nice.   
  
Seishirou, for his part, was more than a little surprised. He hadn't expected to end up in this position so quickly, but he wasn't going to argue with the fates. Having Subaru under him was not something he was going to protest.   
  
Subaru was tense, and Seishirou knew just the way to make the boy relax…   
  
Subaru grew limp. Seishirou's soft, inquisitive pressure began at the corners of his mouth, then claimed him fully, soft tongue connecting with sweetly parting lips. It was too much for Subaru's senses to handle, so he surrendered to the moment, shuddering in guilty pleasure.   
  
He found his hands circling the man's neck and pushing up through his hair. Tongue met tongue in electric contact; the kiss was raw passion sheathed in silk, desire restrained for the sake of the other.   
  
It was sweet, searching, endless.   
  
Seishirou pulled away first, withdrawing from the warmth and softness. Subaru gave a soft whimper of regret – somehow, that had felt right. He wanted more of that contact… but Seishirou was pulling away.   
  
Subaru looked pained. His dilated eyes searched the man's face, and his husky voice broke with desire. "Why…?"   
  
Seishirou got up and settled himself against the tree. "I thought you might be hungry, still." He couldn't keep a smirk out of his voice.   
  
"Seishirou-san…!"   
  
"You're not yourself right now. And besides, you're half starved. Here, try tasting this for me." He'd grabbed a bunch of dark purple grapes from the basket, with every intention of having Subaru eat some fresh fruit.   
  
"Mou…" If Seishirou was going to torture him, then he could torture Seishirou right back, and dammit, he needed the contact.   
  
He got up, settled into Seishirou's lap, and pressed his back against his chest. His hips settled just in front of Seishirou's. He looked over his shoulder into the eyes wide with amused surprise; their lips were only inches apart. Subaru could feel the older man's heartbeat, could feel his breath quicken. Much better.   
  
"You're right. I am hungry. …Do you think you can help?" His voice suggested the fruit, but his gaze suggested otherwise.   
  
"Hmm. You know, I'm not sure." He pressed a single grape against Subaru's mouth. Subaru took it between his teeth, accepting its sweetness. It was, in fact, delicious. He swallowed, delighting in the slightly tangy flavor.   
  
"More…" came the breathy request, to which Seishirou kindly obliged. This time, he pulled Seishirou's thumb tip into his mouth as well, and began sucking, brushing his tongue against the sensitized skin.   
  
Most amusing.   
  
Seishirou's right hand migrated to Subaru's stomach, running over the lightly quivering muscles, tracing patterns over the butter soft material. His lips found Subaru's ear, and he nibbled lightly to see what kind of reaction he could get.   
  
He was delighted to hear a throaty moan.   
  
Encouraged, he traced his fingers gradually lower, past the hem of the loose shirt to hover just barely over the growing need presented to him.   
  
"Please…" He was embarrassed, but desire and lust won out. "Please, Seishirou-san…"   
  
"You're very forward, aren't you?"   
  
"Only with," he looked up into the warm brown stare, blushing only slightly. "Only with what I want."   
  
No. It was too fast. Happening too quickly. If he took Subaru now, like Subaru obviously wanted, there wouldn't be much fun in the game.   
  
No, the fire needed to smolder to burn its fuel to ashes; a flash-fire only claimed the exterior.   
  
He wanted *all* of Subaru.   
  
Why was Subaru placing trust in him so readily? It was misguided, and Seishirou was therefore obligated to correct him. "You wanted to help Tamasaki-sensei, didn't you?"   
  
Subaru blinked, "Maa…" not questioning how Seishirou knew. It really didn't matter, anyway.   
  
"How did that work out?"   
  
He sighed audibly. "Saa… kind of failed, I guess."   
  
"What if I told you that I was the one who finally... helped him?" He chuckled against Subaru's shoulder-blades.   
  
"Eh?"   
  
"You never did meet back up with him, did you?"   
  
Subaru could only stare.   
  
"Because Tamasaki Kuroda is dead."   
  
"Uso… that can't be right." Subaru frowned. "Why are you telling me this?"   
  
"I killed him, with these two hands," one of which snaked up to Subaru's throat, holding his lower windpipe between thumb and forefinger, at the sensitive juncture between neck and collarbone.   
  
Memory flooded over Subaru's consciousness, and Subaru convulsed with horror. This was the same figure from several nights ago - there was no doubt about it now. He gulped, and the pressure increased, straining against his jugular.   
  
"And I could kill you now, if I wanted," purred the voice behind him.   
  
Subaru couldn't get enough air.   
  
He coughed violently. The world grew fuzzy and colorful before his eyes.   
  
"Why shouldn't I, after all… I'm a murderer by choice, with blood as cold as ice. Can you still say that this is what you want?" He scoffed.   
  
Subaru was fading. With one shaky hand, he reached down and met Seishirou's, clasping it tightly. It was a gesture of trust, of assurance. Seishirou was disgusted. He pushed Subaru down, forcing him into unconsciousness, and he took down the Maboroshi.   
  
The little bastard.   
  
He didn't know what he was getting himself into. Didn't know what he was asking for. Seishirou left the apartment, turning on his heel and heading for the front door. "You really should be more careful, you know," he spit acidly into the darkness.   
  
  
-----   
  
  
**Subaru:** *blushing furiously*   
**Gray:** "Oh, you know you liked it."   
**Subaru:** *tears forming* "But why doesn't he *want* me? He left me, threatened to kill me... I thought he wanted me?"   
**Gray:** *sigh* "You know, he's scared. But don't tell him I said that... I'll end up as tree food."   
**Subaru:** "Mou... scared of what? I really suck in this fic. No power, no common sense, no nothing. I'm not much of a threat, am I?"   
**Gray:** "Boy's got a point. Sorry, Su-chan."   
  
**Gray:** "Seishirou... I don't even want to ask why you did that."   
**Seishirou:** "Did what?"   
**Gray:** *jaw falls* "Strangling him?"   
**Seishirou:** Oh. ...Um, my bad?"   
**Gray:** "Impossible. I need to quit trying to make sense out of you." 


	5. Red Cotton, Black Leather

**Series:** Tokyo Babylon, before the first tankubon.   
**Disclaimer:** CLAMP owns Tokyo Babylon, I don't. Sadness.   
**Notes:** I haven't written on this in a while... Papers have devoured my life. Yay. Seishirou's not his usual suave self, Subaru's got a personal problem I feel bad for exploiting, and Hokuto's making an outfit we all know... Eh-heh.   
And be warned, this part doesn't have an ending. I planned to make seven chapters in all (ending with a shikigami and a train station), but it really depends on how these guys react together. It may be anywhere between 7 and 10, because I might not be able to squeeze in the plot elements I want with only two chapters to go... previous chapters are linked to in the link in my profile. Haha.   
  
  
  
**What Dreams May Come** - Chapter 5   
  
  
  
Physically, Seishirou had the signs of anxiety: sweating palms, jitteriness, and lack of focus. His patrons at the clinic were concerned for his health, the annoying little girls kept asking, over and over, "Seishirou-sensei, daijoubu?"   
  
He just grinned and affirmed his wellbeing, perhaps only to himself.   
  
It seemed his careful strategy wasn't going as he planned.   
  
Well, in a certain light, it was going _exactly_ as planned. He'd met Subaru, coaxed him into security, and then had Subaru practically aching for sex, sitting between his legs and looking flushed and delicious. He licked his lips.   
  
Really, that's what he'd been planning from the start, wasn't it?   
  
Now that the last of the patrons had gone, he let his mind slowly reanalyze the image of Subaru, spending sufficient time to appreciate the creature of beauty that was his, his own, and only his. He decided that yes, this was what he wanted. The purpose of visiting was to discover how to bed Subaru in the shortest possible timeframe. To put it very, very bluntly, to discover the weak spots in Subaru's wall of defense. And if he could exploit them later, all the better.   
  
Wasn't it?   
  
Because obviously, something made him to drop his pretty toy before anything began. _Chik'shou. What the hell was I thinking?_   
  
He could have satisfied his craving, but he didn't, and his body still ached from being denied… What the hell was wrong with him? Something was misplaced, but he didn't know what it was, and that made him… uncomfortable.   
  
Perhaps a more accurate term is 'afraid', but anyone who called him that would soon have found himself on the wrong end of the food chain.   
  
He glared. _What fun is a hunt if the prey doesn't fear?_ There meeting lacked tension. True, if the prey doesn't act the part, the hunter is just an old man in goofy-looking flannel. If Subaru had resisted, the game would have been much more amusing.   
  
The right physical touch would make anybody lust, including his pretty Subaru. If he thought Seishirou found him sexy enough, a little touch would go quite a long way… He could reduce Subaru to a puddle of lust-claimed goo if he wanted to, but what would that mean? Only that Subaru was a teenager and susceptible to hormone-induced frenzies… He glared again. This wasn't any new piece of information.   
  
He was uncomfortable with the fact that Subaru was …willing.   
  
No, more than willing: Subaru was _trusting_ him.   
  
The boy was so naïve it made Seishirou sick. Perhaps the clan head had a vague impression of "Sakurazukamori", like children are afraid of the boogieman and the dark. And if Subaru weren't a total imbecile, he would have recognized by now that he, Seishirou, was the bad guy the Sumeragi clan loved to hate.   
  
Most interesting.   
  
_Subaru was either naïve or brain-dead._   
  
He slammed the door on his way out; the sudden noise scared his animals.   
  
  
---   
  
The table was bare, save for a slip of paper.   
  
_"Going shopping for fabric and accessories!! Make sure you eat the yummy lunch I left you. You don't have work today, so if you feel like it later, go visit the cute kittens at the clinic! I'm sure they'd love to see you.   
-- Onee-sama"_   
  
She sounded excited, and really, she was ecstatic to be going shopping. She was certain that Subaru could take care of himself for an afternoon, and she knew he'd be cheered up by a new outfit.   
  
She couldn't contain her excitement!   
  
She was standing on the subway seat and yelling aloud to all those who cared to hear. "That's what he needs! Bright colors and a bold, striking, flattering design a la Hokuto-sama's creations! Ooo-ho-ho-ho-ho!!" She punctuated her exclamation with a fist in the air.   
  
Companions in her small subway car either politely pretended to ignore her or smiled cautiously at her thoughtfulness, and Hokuto, satisfied with her performance, stepped down and resumed musing.   
  
She wondered, what would be an appropriate theme? Subaru's green eyes had been the focus of many, many of her past ensembles. He owned kelly-green jackets, emerald-green shirts, forest-green hats, tree-green blazers… Green was a cliché already. A yellow would wash out Subaru's ivory complexion. Purple… royal purple might not be too bad, but Subaru's current slump begged something much more cheerful and striking. Something like red.   
  
Aha! Vibrant wine red.   
  
She practically bounced into the fabric store, drunk on inspiration. "Obaaa-sama ohaaaayo gozaimashita!!" The softly wrinkled store owner waved hello to her favorite customer.   
  
"Ara! Hokuto-chan, back so soon?"   
  
"Haaaii!" Her eyes practically glittered with excitement.   
  
"What wonderful outfit do you have in mind for your otouto this time? You look so excited." She folded the last bolt and placed it on the shelf. "Something special, isn't it?" Hokuto grabbed a chair to thoroughly and hastily fill her in on the details.   
  
Her friend the patient owner contemplated each item, forming a mental picture of the design, marveling only slightly at the girl's eye for fashion. Some might call her style extreme, but Hokuto always softened the loud elements with something that kept it almost within everyday standards. Really, it was inspired. The store owner was used to the rapid-fire "Hokuto list", and didn't miss a beat.   
  
"…and so I need some kind of vinyl or leather, two and a half yards of glossy if you have it, and about eight yards of the red, plus some 2" ribbon and do you have a black zipper that won't show on the vinyl?" The owner barely blinked. In the rhythm of the conversation, she offered a small alteration to the materials list.   
  
"Oh, but if his measurements haven't changed, you need three of the black, right?"   
  
Hokuto was silenced. Her vocal train of thought was cut abruptly. The heavy silence hung like something alive, waiting to pounce. She looked up into her elder friend's eyes, and forced herself to whisper, almost inaudibly "two and a half yards, please." The pained expression in Hokuto's eyes confirmed it. Subaru had lost weight. Since Hokuto blamed herself for not taking care of him, she blushed, ashamed.   
  
But she shook herself and smiled broadly, if only for appearances.   
  
"So," she began again, "so you have the black leather in stock? I'd really like to get started on this as soon as possible! He needs another outfit for the season, and it'd cheer him up more than anything!"   
  
It took only half an hour, and the two of them managed to find everything Hokuto wanted, including a brimmed black hat. Hokuto nearly squealed when she saw it. "This would be so cute on him! I'll make him wear it every day. Wow, I'm getting started as soon as I get home!"   
  
Even before she cleared away the last of her creations' messes, most likely. Hokuto was quite glad for her apartment space; she had turned it into a home studio without worrying about taking over her brother's living space. It was her getaway, her creative sphere. Dress dolls lined the hallway, and her breakfast table had turned into a permanent sewing machine table. Her fridge was stocked with bobbins of thread, her oven wouldn't close for all the patterns she'd filed. That's why she always ended up cooking at Subaru's.   
  
---   
  
For his part, Subaru stayed in bed all morning. He felt sick. Worn out. Discomforted. Unstable. Nauseous… He was too tired to do more than stare at the ceiling and come up with adjectives for how he felt. Dreading-ness. Ominous-ized. Threaten-ed. Accosted-ness...? He was making up words, too. He sighed, dejectedly.   
  
_Should I get up..?_   
  
He rose to stand, and the answer hit him. _No. Absolutely **not.**_ He flumped back down on his floor futon, defeated by the simple movement.   
  
His head hurt. No, that was an understatement.   
  
Subaru was familiar with the symptoms of backlash - the pounding head, upset stomach, sensitivity to light - but this was different. It was almost as if he were experiencing… feedback?   
  
Feedback was a more vicious problem for onmyouji than backlash. If you hold a microphone to its speaker, the energy gets worse and worse until it's unbearable… or the speaker breaks.   
  
Magical feedback was the same kind of thing. Magic resonates through all living things, and sometimes it happened by accident, but if two people whose aura/latent magic were almost compatible, but not quite, got in close contact, they would become anxious and violent. Sometimes you just "don't like the way that guy looks". It's threatening and unsettling, and people sometimes resort to violence to stop the feedback. The tension rises until it's unbearable, or one of them breaks. The feedback phenomenon is found music too: notes that are played not _quite_ in tune are unbearably painful. Take that effect to three orders of magnitude, and it's a similar kind of problem… But the intensity spirals out of control.   
  
_Ouch, too much thinking for so early in the morning._ He looked at the clock. _Or early afternoon... Ugh._   
  
He didn't have the patience to wonder why he felt so overwhelmed, why he suddenly had to deal with feedback… A quick self-check revealed that he was sore all over. Everywhere. His head was sore from the feedback, but his legs were sore, his neck was sore, and… oh hell… there was dull, aching pain in his most sensitive area. It was worse than a cramp, more like a powerful stomach ache or toothache. It was taking the edge off of his concentration. He wanted to cry, but the pain was too low and steady for tears to come. He rolled on to his side into the fetal position, closing himself off from any extra stimulus. He wanted to sleep it off, but the thought came to him that he hadn't slept well in nearly a month now. His own dreams scared him, even if he couldn't remember them vividly. He realized he needed to get up if he ever wanted to feel better. He needed some water; sleeping and dehydration don't mix well.   
  
The coves slid back against his pajama-clad legs and he carefully swung himself around to stand, brushing hair out of his eyes with his hand.   
  
It really was too bright outside.   
  
Subaru absently mused. _What I need is something to shade the windows, like mini-blinds or a large tree…_ The images assaulted his abused brain. _Oh hell._   
  
Subaru threw up.   
  
  
---


	6. A Fated Meeting

**Series:** Tokyo Babylon, before the first tankubon.   
**Disclaimer:** CLAMP owns Tokyo Babylon, I still don't.   
**Notes:** Sorry for the length… this one's quite a bit longer than my standard ~2K words per section… and I'm sorry for the cliffhanger. I meant it to be a seamless whole, but the chapter was just so long, and I really need to take a couple days to work out where it's going. I also want to apologize for the starkness of the dreams in advance… Usually dreams would be much more poetic, symbolic, and metaphoric, but my creative brain took a holiday.   
  
  
  
**What Dreams May Come – Chapter 6**   
  
  
Hokuto took the shortest possible route home, anxious to begin her project and check on her brother's health. Subaru really hadn't been doing well, and for some reason, she doubted he was feeling any better today. …Maybe she could surprise him with some comforting miso soup and a video they could watch.   
  
Subaru just needed some comforting. It was a fact that he would seldom recover quickly if he didn't feel needed.   
  
The sidewalk was so packed with people, and her bags were piled so high that she almost missed seeing the sign for the animal clinic. It caught her by surprise.   
  
"Oh! That's where they have the free kittens! I wonder if--!" There was a muffled ka-thump and Hokuto tumbled to the ground, packages and all.   
  
It seemed she had run into someone. _Someone tall…_ she looked up from the sidewalk to the figure looming over her. _Dark…_ He was unquestionably dark underneath the lab coat. The clinic's head veterinarian! _And handsome…_ Hokuto smiled mischievously, thinking that her current situation would lend itself perfectly to the beginning of any shoujo romance manga. Cute girl trips and falls into the arms of a young doctor…! Score!   
  
"Ara… sumimasen. I'm just so clumsy," she managed, flashing him one of her most endearing smiles.   
  
Seishirou panicked. He gaped. He was hyperventilating. It was Subaru. Surely this wasn't happening. He hadn't planned for them to meet this way, out in broad daylight. And, kami-sama, so soon… It just wasn't possible…!   
  
He was inwardly cursing, but he'd run out of curses all too quickly, so he began inventing some. They were quite interesting; he'd have to write them down sometime.   
  
"…Aren't you going to help me up?"   
  
No, no, no. Get a grip. Seishirou ordered himself to be rational. He could test the pentagrams. Yes. Testing them would be a good idea.   
  
He sent out a feather-like tap to the markings on his prey, just to see where he was located… Far from here. In the apartment. But that didn't add up, not at all. His eyebrows folded. _What the **hell**is going on?!_   
  
_Oh, forget it._   
  
He extended his hand. "Forgive me! I'm so sorry. Let me help you with your bags." He plastered his face with a sincere grin and helped her to stand. "Do you need medical assistance? I don't have much practice on people, but I can bandage any wound…" He pushed up his glasses by the bridge.   
"Um, I'm alright. Are _you_ okay? You looked…" She struggled for a polite way to phrase 'scared enough to need a change of clothes.'   
  
"Like I'd seen a ghost?" He grinned, tentatively. "It's just that I so rarely meet a beautiful person like yourself that it caught me off guard. …I wonder if you'd be so kind as to tell me your name?" Maybe a compliment would coax her to forget about his stunned reaction… And a quick change of subject would seal it.   
  
The flattery worked. "I'm Sumeragi Hokuto! One of the most beautiful and eligible women in Tokyo." She giggled, delighted that he was playing along with her damsel routine.   
  
A girl… A girl? Her name was Sumeragi, she'd said. She'd have to be a sister.   
  
He found himself laughing, the tension released.   
  
It was the ultimate punch line.   
  
Now that he looked harder, he noticed she was wearing earrings, lip gloss, eyeliner, and a skirt that looked like it was made out of pink and yellow curtains.   
  
He smiled, regaining his composure. "May I call you Hokuto-chan, fair maiden?"   
  
She stood and curtsied. "Whatever you like! But may I ask your name, handsome prince?"   
  
"It's Sakurazuka Seishirou."   
  
She mouthed it, quietly. "Sakura… zuka…" and her eyebrows rose.   
  
He cut her off. "It's a common name. I'd prefer it if you called me by my given name, Seishirou." He smiled, charmingly. "…Is that alright with you?"   
  
She grinned. "Such a formal name, I can't call you by that. We're already so familiar!" She paused. "I'll just have to call you Sei-chan!"   
  
They both laughed; it was an immediate bond.   
  
"Oh dear, forgive my manners. Would you like to come inside?" They were just outside the clinic, and it'd be much more informal if they could talk off the street. "Let me carry one of your bags. They look so heavy!"   
  
"Oh no, they're not at all. It's just fabric!"   
  
The two of them stepped out of the bustle and into the quiet interior of the clinic. Hokuto expressed her admiration of his chosen profession. She rambled about how wonderful it must be, and how well he must be paid, and anything else she could think of to flatter her handsome acquaintance.   
  
"Oh dear, Hokuto-chan. If I didn't know any better – no, come to think of it, I don't! – I'd think you were flirting with me. It'd be wise to lighten up on the praise, you know." He chuckled lightly. They'd been talking now for over half an hour, and had become quite familiar.   
  
"Why Sei-chan, you astonish me!" She cast a sly grin. "It seems like fate that we've met today." He couldn't help but nod; fate indeed. "So what would you do if I _were_ to flirt just a little?" She poked his shoulder   
  
"I'd be forced to reveal then, dear Hokuto, that my preferences lie elsewhere. Not that you aren't the most gorgeous woman I've met in all my time in Tokyo…" He didn't want to offend the twin of his prey, after all.   
  
Her eyes widened a slight margin. "You mean to say that…?"   
  
"Yes, I'm afraid so."   
  
She exploded. "This is _perfect_ Sei-chan! I have a twin brother; I could introduce you!!" He let Hokuto ramble. "…and then design your wedding! It'd be gorgeous; he'd make the most gorgeous blushing bride! You really should meet him. I have a feeling you two would get along wonderfully! Right from the start! It'd be love at first sight!"   
  
Hokuto was bouncing. She loved playing matchmaker more than she enjoyed matches of her own, so really, she wasn't losing anything by sacrificing this beautiful man to her brother. Subaru could really use someone like this to help him get out of his slump. It'd be perfect. Just what he needed.   
  
Seishirou choked down laughter at Hokuto's energy, and did his best to pretend to be surprised at this revelation of a twin.   
  
"A twin, you say? Surely, he's the most beautiful man in all of Japan, if he looks like you. I should love to meet him, sometime."   
  
"Actually, I'm making an outfit for him out of this material." He peeked inside the bag, and gulped. _Black leather._ "Perhaps he'll be wearing it when you meet him for the first time. Wouldn't that be excellent! He'll look so beautiful for you, Sei-chan!" Seishirou's brain supplied all sorts of imagery, and he barely kept his calm façade… Black leather.   
  
"I think he should wear it all the time." He winked at her.   
  
She smiled broadly again. "You must have read my mind, Sei-chan!"   
  
But for all of her energy and appeal, Hokuto had the smallest of reservations about the vet. For one, the look in his eyes didn't quite match his smile; it was unnerving, like Frankenstein's monster. His smile was alive, but his eyes were dead. It was creepy, with a capital C.   
  
For another, he just smelled wrong. A little bit like old metal, the kind that had been around for a long time in damp, decaying places. Rusting metal, or perhaps dried blood and decaying flowers… It was sharp and alarming, but barely perceptible… pungent, but diluted in the waiting room's sterility.   
  
She eyed him, appraisingly.   
  
Something in her intuition warned her that this man was much more than he seemed, and was possibly a threat. It occurred to her that she wouldn't have been surprised if he'd suddenly jumped up and announced that he was the evil Sakurazukamori incarnate and wanted to suck out all of her blood and dance a pagan ritual around the sakura trees just outside his quiet urban office. His name alluded to something like that. But his nature seemed different.   
  
His aura, like his smile, tried to cover something up. It was dangerous, she concluded, but nothing worth having wasn't worth a little risk now and then. And he didn't seem directly threatening. Why not introduce him to Subaru, and then see where it went from there?   
  
After all, if he _were_ the boogieman Sakurazukamori, he and Subaru were equals, and Subaru could take care of himself.   
  
So it was settled. And luckily, the handsome man agreed.   
  
"I'd love to meet your brother. Maybe we can formally meet sometime, say, next week? It really depends on my schedule, you see."   
  
Hokuto nodded understandingly. "I'll leave you my phone number, and when you're available, give me a call. Don't wait an extra second, alright?"   
  
"Understood, fair maiden." He continued their earlier joke as Hokuto slipped back out to the street and on her way.   
  
_Perhaps I'd better hurry up my schedule, Subaru-kun…_   
  
He tapped his fingers impatiently.   
  
---   
  
Subaru's day passed otherwise uneventfully. Hokuto stopped by just in time to prepare dinner for the two of them. Tonight's dish was Italian spaghetti and meatballs in a rich tomato sauce.   
  
The noodles were boiling with just a splash of olive oil to keep them from sticking, and the sauce was spiced to perfection. She tasted and hummed with appreciation. The smell of basil and garlic wafted around the apartment, drawing Subaru out of his room. He hadn't eaten in nearly 24 hours, and what little he had in him he'd thrown up this afternoon. He hadn't really felt well enough to eat lunch.   
  
Hokuto threatened to force feed him if he ever skipped a meal again, arguing that he would never get any better if he didn't eat regularly. He was a growing boy, after all, and needed his calories. Hokuto could hardly eat enough for the two of them, though she might try…   
  
The garlic bread was toasted and buttered, the noodles soft and drained. Subaru plopped down wearily at the table and gave his sister a sincere, if wan, smile of appreciation for the meal.   
  
Subaru informed his sister that Grandmother had called again today, asking if he was available the day after tomorrow to do a small purification of a new shrine.   
  
"So what did you say?" Hokuto was worried, and she knew her little brother was prone to taking on more than he could handle safely.   
  
"I confirmed I would be there. …I am a pro. I'm being paid for this."   
  
"No Subaru, you need to skip this one, it's not such a big deal… I can't have you passing out again. It's not good for you." She bit her lip.   
  
Subaru considered; he knew his sister was ultimately only thinking for his safety. "Maybe you're right… A pro really wouldn't do a poor job. And I can't guarantee that I'll be able to give 100% in so short a time…"   
  
"And you know, your last assignment wasn't flawless either. You really lost it there, you know." Subaru stood.   
  
Hokuto winced; she'd gone too far. "Subaru…!" She was going to apologize, but he cut her off with a gesture with his hand.   
  
"Thanks for the meal, nee-chan." His tone was flat, cut off. He was heading back to his room. "I'm going back to my room now. I guess you can show yourself out."   
  
She was hurt. "A-Are you going to accept the job?" He voice was a little shriller than usual.   
  
He paused, sighed, and looked over his shoulder. "I don't know."   
  
---   
  
What a horrible, awful day. He hadn't even been outside, hadn't gone to school, hadn't had a breath of fresh air. His room was dark and warm now that it was twilight, and the drapes had been let down to block any light that might have otherwise crept in.   
  
The dark somehow suited how he felt, and he appreciated it.   
  
Subaru didn't bother changing into his pajamas; his polka-dot set was in the laundry from this afternoon, and he didn't feel like wearing anything less familiar. His just sat on the edge of his bed and stripped to his underwear and gloves before settling down and pulling the slightly wrinkled sheets up to his chin. Here it was comfortable. Here it was safe.   
  
Distantly, he heard the front door slam; Hokuto was leaving.   
  
And then Subaru felt the tears on his cheeks. Absently, he wiped them away, but they kept coming, and stopping them was futile. He just lay there, staring at the ceiling, wondering why he was so miserable.   
  
That's right, he was rejected and alone.   
  
He decided that it sucked.   
  
Subaru wasn't tired enough to slip into a dreamless sleep; he'd been sleeping for the better part of the entire day already, and it was barely 7:00.   
  
Instead he tumbled into a light sleep peppered with dreams that only touched upon the surface of his consciousness. Many times, he wasn't sure if he was awake or dreaming. Small sounds from outside made their way into his consciousness and were distorted, morphed into something alien.   
  
_He was standing in the middle of a busy intersection with cars swarming around him, threatening to run him down. He tried to signal to them that he was there, but they didn't avoid him. Instead they swerved closer.   
  
Headlights flashed and horns blared, and then he was hit. There was darkness.   
  
Subaru was then sitting on the steps of a bank, watching the crowd. Nobody spoke to him. He was waiting for Hokuto, but Hokuto never came. She'd forgotten about him; he was alone.   
  
He asked an older man if he knew Hokuto.   
  
"Why yes, I do. But why would she come for you?" Subaru responded, "Because she's my sister, and we're always together." The man just laughed. "You're not important enough for her to come and get you." Subaru got angry and said that yes, Hokuto was definitely coming for him. She'd be here any time now.   
  
The man shook his head and kept walking on, and on, and on.   
  
He was standing on the edge of a deep, black crevice, and he spotted Hokuto on the other side of the gap. He called out to her, but there was no sound.   
  
He began making signs with his arms, waving them to draw her attention. She kept staring into space, looking towards him, but not at him. Subaru was jumping, anything to get her to see him.   
  
One of his feet landed off of the edge and he fell, tumbling… his pentagrams flaring acidly, straight through to his palms. _  
  
---   
  
Seishirou was just preparing to go out for the evening when he felt something caustic and biting on the fringe of his thoughts.   
  
_Subaru – it's Subaru?   
  
He's in pain._   
  
Seishirou automatically tensed. No one else was allowed to hurt his plaything, no one. Subaru was _his_. Seishirou consciously forced himself to loosen his fists.   
  
He left the apartment as quickly as he could, weaving an illusion jitsu around him as he went because invisibility meant he could move more quickly than walking. It was quite fortunate that he excelled at illusion-making... He arrived in Subaru's room only minutes later, standing just inside the curtain covering the large pane of glass overlooking Tokyo's city lights. The closer he got to Subaru, the worse the feeling resonated between them, and the more livid Seishirou grew.   
  
He gathered crackling, stinging magical energy in his fingertips, looking to quickly to kill whoever was harming his precious plaything. Death would come quickly; oh yes. Whoever was causing such pain would be a greasy smear on the bedroom floor a few seconds from now.   
  
He glanced around the darkened room, expecting to see Subaru fighting off an attacker or summoning a shikigami in defense, but there was no one save for the two of them… And Subaru was asleep. Crying out, whimpering, and moving against the sheets, but very much asleep. The scars were shining bright enough to glow through the concealing silk.   
  
Interesting.   
  
The dark onmyouji strode up to the bedside, considering how to make this annoying _gnawing_ feeling go away.   
  
At this point, he would do nearly anything… Anything to stem this painful torrent of emotion and energy leaked from the backside of the gloved palms into his already stressed mind. The scars were an open conduit; Seishirou had enough to deal with without this little issue exploding into his brain. _Stupid pentagrams._   
  
One, he could kill Subaru, but that would mean scrapping the bet. And he was so looking forward to it.   
  
Two, he could wake Subaru from the nightmare… Force him out of the dream and back into reality. Yet he would be exposed, and the bet would start much before he'd planned. Not an acceptable solution.   
  
Three, he could go Within him, stopping the nightmare from inside... Since Subaru was unconscious, it might work. He wouldn't reach the dreamscape directly, but he could affect Subaru's dreamscape via the innerscape, and stop the nightmare by soothing the inner child…   
  
He hadn't precisely done it before, but it seemed the most viable option available.   
  
Subaru's mental privacy wasn't an issue; he didn't give a single thought to the intensely personal nature of the innerscape he'd be invading. Well, Subaru was his to do with what he liked -- he was just fixing the inner workings of his broken toy.   
  
He pressed his long, practiced fingers to Subaru's damp temples and began a low and steady chant to enter into the tormented mind. 


	7. Going Within

**Notes:** Okay, so I've been in a writing slump since finals. But I really, really want to finish this fic... I know where it's going, I just have to put it into words. This chapter's short, and yes, is again a cliffhanger. Sorry 'bout that.   
**Disclaimer:** Sadly, I neither own Subaru nor Seishirou. They belong to CLAMP, the team who horribly abuses them. More's the pity.   
  
**Summary:** It's been six and a half years since the marking of his prey, and Seishirou's mission is to research the Sumeragi's personality in order to most effectively carry out the bet; once he feels he has enough data, he will start the game. However, the responsibilities Subaru holds in Tokyo are more than he anticipated, and his dreams are disturbing. Caught up in a nightmare, Subaru deflects the pain through the pentagram conduits toward Seishirou, who is now going 'within' his prey to fix him. *whew*   
  
  
  
  
  
**What Dreams May Come - Part 7**   
  
  
  
  
Seishirou leaned over the nightmare-wracked form and slid his fingertips into the hollows of Subaru's temples. He began chanting in a low, steady tone. Going 'within' someone was tedious; even the smallest of slips could result in excruciating backlash for the both of them.   
  
Except he wasn't even entirely sure that this would work.   
  
A Sakurazukamori's general use of Onmyoujitsu only requires only a handful of techniques, so he hadn't dabbled in the finer arts of the power… Of course, he knew the technical _workings_ of this particular jitsu, but he hadn't had a chance to ever put it into practice. Usually, the receiver would need to be unconscious for one to enter; the jitsu was designed to aid people who had gone into a sort of depression, to help them return to reality. Did that mean if someone _wasn't_ unconscious, the jitsu would rebound? Seishirou didn't know. He was using it in an unfamiliar situation, so the outcome would be random.   
  
Yet jitsu are simply an Onmyouji's tools. An idiot wielding the best tool would screw things up, but a master could create art with garbage. If he concentrated here, he _might_ be able to fudge it.   
  
If at all possible, he wanted to avoid unnecessarily ruining some of his business at the clinic… _patrons always hate it when their beloved pets suddenly disappear_, Seishirou smirked.   
  
"Nobou akyasha… kyarabaya on'arikya… maribori sowaka…" He continued chanting, steadily increasing the volume of his voice in an effort to keep his concentration as the pain persisted. Seishirou cringed, feeling a particularly sharp stab.   
  
The pentagrams flared acidly in the dark room, highlighting two light sheens of perspiration with metallic green light. Being in contact with the actual source only heightened the sensations he received.   
  
It was getting worse, but was still only a small taste of backlash that was sure to come. "…kyarabaya on'arikya… maribori sowaka! Nobou akyasha…" He couldn't let the pounding within his head affect the jitsu. Whatever happened to Subaru's health was fine, but if he were incapacitated and unable to feed the Tree, he would be in some real trouble.   
  
He continued, despite the growing doubt in his mind, "Nobou akyasha…! …ON!"   
  
The jitsu slid into place, finally clearing Seishirou's mind's-eye to the beginnings of Subaru's innerscape. He was sliding downward, feet first, through a kind of light gray haze with no perceptible end in sight. "_So this is what one looks like? My, my. How insufferably boring._"   
  
  
For a moment, he considered the possibility that he may have done something wrong, and entered the wrong part of Subaru's mind. The dreamscape and innerscape were similar, but obviously not the same level of consciousness. Maybe he wouldn't be able to access much of the innerscape after all, since Subaru's energy was focused in the dream world. Perhaps Seishirou was causing significant damage to an already fragile psyche; he should at least see _something_ instead of this "infinite mist" junk, right?   
  
"Subaru!" he called. "Subaru-kun, can you hear me?"   
  
No response.   
  
But the pentagrams continued to bite into his mind, so he knew Subaru wasn't dead. Not yet.   
  
His toes brushed against solid ground, and Seishirou finally found support on a small patch of rock. He still couldn't see anything, in any direction… but at least he had something to stand on. _"Perfect. I'm stranded in pea soup in this kid's brain… I winder if I should cancel tomorrow's first checkup; that mongrel can get vaccinations anytime. As a professional in two fields, no I don't have **any** other engagements… Actually, this is kind of nice. I think I'll stay here. Maybe vacation in the fall."_ He mentally rolled his eyes.   
  
The fog finally began to clear; Subaru mental defenses weakened as the pentagrams flared once more. God, but that hurt. Seishirou could see, but the sudden influx of nauseating pain wouldn't allow him to keep his eyes open.   
  
But the pain subsided again, to the point of being on the brink of tolerable. If he wanted to end this, he would have to do it quickly. Seishirou's endurance was being pressed to its maximum, and he didn't know just how long his energy reserves would last.   
  
The thinning mist revealed ground six feet or so below his feet, so Seishirou jumped. He knew he would find Subaru's inner-self around somewhere, but he also knew that he wouldn't make himself easy to find, since in this situation, Subaru would be completely vulnerable. Not only was he under punishing mental and emotional stress, but his consciousness was intruded upon. In a panic situation like this one, Subaru would either use a high level of defense, or sudden, crushing offense. Seishirou braced for the worst, preparing for any sudden and random lash of the Sumeragi's power.   
  
The fog was again dense enough to obscure his hand at arm's length. "Subaru-kun!" he called out into the void, walking forward.   
  
If he could call attention to himself, he could force Subaru's mind to focus, locating the source of Subaru's energy. That was where he assumed Subaru's inner self would be, but currently Subaru's mind centered nowhere. That was dangerous.   
  
He called again, louder.   
  
For an instant, energy gathered slightly to Seishirou's two-o'clock, then vanished. He took five steps in that direction, then called again. "Subaru-kun!" The energy cohered more strongly this time, but more to the right than before.   
  
He got to play the game of hot-and-cold just twice more before he found himself boxed in by invisible, nonparallel, suddenly crushing walls. Seishirou fought, but it only caused the barriers to contract and pinch at odd angles. Much more pressure and they would break bone. He relaxed, sliding his fingers gently on the wall closest to his nose, elbow pinned to his side.   
  
The physical discomfort compounded with the throbbing mental tie he had with the Sumeragi was causing him to act differently than he usually would.   
  
_"Desperate situations call for… smooth lies."_   
  
  
"Subaru-kun," he gasped, "I won't hurt you." The walls ceased contracting, but didn't give.   
  
He tried again, manipulating his voice with as much sincerity and compassion he could manufacture. "…I want to help, Subaru-kun. Will you let me?" Luckily, like Subaru, Subaru's inner defense was rather trusting; it relaxed, melting. The shrouding fog even lightened, softening into mellow greens and blues.   
  
The horizon just ahead, however, was a sickening ink black.   
  
  
It seemed he had found the Sumeragi.   
  
  



	8. Subaru's Innerscape

 "You're overdoing it again, Subaru-kun." He shook his head and pressed forward, toward the infected area of the boy's psyche. The further he walked, the less grass he had to tread through; whatever was making the horizon black was also killing the vegetation. 

As he moved forward, he stepped his way around large rocks, across flinty pebbles, and then, finally, only ash-gray dust. There was poison ahead, something killing and choking off fragile forms of life… That's what the blackness was. 

Seishirou considered the fact that this toxin was coming from his own meek prey, and grew uneasy. He had not thought the Sumeragi capable of destruction. Something, then, must have pushed him to this… What could have this kind of effect? What kind of nightmare? Seishirou knew, however, that he wouldn't be able to know without seeing the boy's dreamscape, and that space was forbidden to all but dreamseers... He would have to be content with the bleak, dying innerscape. Somehow, he'd make it work.  

Ash turned to barren gray mud, and cursing, Seishirou lost his shoes. He continued, more slowly, feet swallowed by the terrain with each step. His pants would be ruined, but fortunately, they weren't real.  

He paused, looking around. There wasn't much to see. 

"Subaru-kun, are you here?" 

It seemed he'd come to the epicenter. The sky above him, the mud below him, and even the air around him was black. Everything was inked out. It drew the conclusion that Subaru would have to be around here, somewhere.

His eyes caught a sliver of whiteness, and he turned, expectantly. 

Sumeragi Shikifuku? Decades of self-discipline prevented a gasp. Subaru (or rather, the nine-year-old boy Subaru had once been) was submerged in tar-like, enveloping sludge up to his elbows. The white formal robe was stained beyond repair where the muck had splashed up to his shoulders. 

The boy was staring down, not at himself submerging, but as if he were blind, seeing nothing at all. It really was the child he had made his bet with: long eyelashes on porcelain skin, hair fluffy and feminine. Doubtless his eyes were the same piercing, empathetic green which had toppled his guard the first time.   

"Subaru-kun!" he called in effort to get the child's attention. "Can you hear me? Look at me!" Seeing his nine-year-old figure again made him more desperate to save him, but he wasn't sure why.        

But the child didn't respond; he could have been deaf as well. 

Seishirou turned, and with a great deal of energy, began closing the roughly ten meter gap between himself and the child, careful not to get sucked in himself. 

He decided to test a theory of his. 

Thinking, I"I don't deserve to leave here,"/I he felt himself submerge to his knees as the glue-like mud softened under his feet. 

He reversed it. I"The world outside needs me."/I The substance re-solidified, and he stopped sinking. 

The sludge must be responding to emotions and wishes. That is, if you didn't want to be a part of the world, it would swallow you. And Subaru was already up to his shoulders. He couldn't waste any more time. 

"Subaru! Subaru-kun, listen to me. Do you recognize who I am?" 

The eyelashes fluttered twice, and the liquid green squinted confusedly as he looked up toward the source of the sound.   
  


"W-who are you?" The young voice sounded bruised. 

"You don't know me, but my name is Sakurazuka Seishirou."  

"Oh." The boy considered. "I do know you."

Seishirou was intrigued. 

How much did he know, he wondered. If he remembered their last meeting, under the tree within his Maboroshi, then he would be accepting. And if he remembered their other meetings, he would be flustered. That is, if the memory guards leaked like they seem to have. 

Seishirou decided to ask. "How do you know me?"

"I remember you… you've come…" he bit his lower lip, his head tilted to the side. "You're the person who hurts me."  Seishirou blinked. This was a little unexpected. It was only under the identity of 'Sakurazukamori' that he'd been invasive, uninvited, threatening. 

To have his guileless 'Seishirou' persona rejected by such an innocent face… he felt somewhat insulted. 

"Please, go away, Seishirou-san." 

"But Subaru, I'm here to help you. Do you want to be helped?"

The small brow furrowed. "I said go away!" There was anger here, perhaps created by the dream, perhaps resonated by it. 

The unexpected strength of the tiny plea cut Seishirou; he hadn't expected to be rejected once he reached the core of his prey's self. It was disconcerting. 

"Subaru!! Trust me." He softened his voice. "Just trust—" but a slice of pain, like jagged glass, from the pentagrams suddenly slid through his body, cutting off speech. He knew he didn't have much longer before his resources were depleted. 

"A-are you alright?" called the tiny figure. He seemed to have stopped sinking, slightly. He must not be thinking so much about his own pain. 

It wasn't much, but it was a step.

Seishirou took a deep breath. "I want to help you. I'm here to help get you out of there." He waited for the boy to respond, but he didn't seem to understand yet. "Do you know what it is?" he asked, inquisitively.

At this, Subaru blinked. "This stuff?" 

"Do you know anything about it?"

"Ahhh… a little. It's always here. And sometimes, when I'm not careful, I fall in." Seishirou was patient, letting Subaru continue. "But-but it's really hard to get out… by myself." Green eyes looked ready to spill over. "…I can't get out this time, I don't think."

"Then, do you want me to help you get out, this time?" 

"I…" Subaru had stopped sinking, but he was up to his neck. Any further, and it would have been too late. He looked up towards Seishirou, who beamed down with a gentle smile. 

"Seishirou-san… you promise to keep me safe?" He looked disbelieving. 

It was an odd question to hear, but certainly worth addressing. Not now, though; he filed it away to contemplate later… For now, he would say what Subaru wanted to hear. "Yes, Subaru-kun. I promise that I'll protect you as best as I can." 

Subaru smiled, then nodded. "I think I want you to help."

He sunk his hands into the muck, sliding them under the child's arms to lift him. Seishirou stood, carefully, then instructed Subaru. "Put your hands around my neck, alright?" One of Seishirou's arms supported the child's back, the other his legs. His shirt was ruined. Both of them were smeared with black paste that stung a little like acid. But suddenly, the pain from the pentagrams disappeared. 

As they carefully made their way away from the black center, Seishirou asked a question that was intended to sound offhand to the boy. 

"Subaru-kun, what do you need?"

"Need?"

"So you don't fall into that black stuff again. I promised to protect you." Seishirou tried to sound sincere as he searched for more information regarding his prey's mind. "Do you need to be loved?"

"Yes… No. I don't know. Maybe. But Hokuto-chan loves me already. Obaa-sama too."

He looked into the mud-smeared face of his prey, thinking carefully before he phrased his next question. 

"Do you need someone to take care of you?" 

Hair fluttered as he shook his head. The boy's lips folded in thought. He opened his mouth once to speak, but closed it again, unsure. 

"Yes?" Seishirou prompted, warmly.

Wide green eyes scanned the face of his rescuer. He leaned in, resting his head on a solid shoulder. After a long minute, he whispered into the ear above. 

I"Be my friend."/I

Something else unexpected, to file away and analyze later… friendship was something alien to Seishirou, but if it was important to the Sumeragi, it was worth consideration. 

The ground solidified below them, and Seishirou deposited the form, even wiping a streak of dried mud from his baby-soft cheek. "I promise," Seishirou vowed to the tiny clan leader, "to become your friend."   

He placed his palm on the pale forehead. "Sleep now," and the emerald eyes fluttered closed.  

Seishirou withdrew himself from within the young Sumeragi, careful not to disturb the spell he'd cast. Now that the pain was gone, it was easy enough to erase the memory of his presence. He decided not to strengthen his spell, even though emotions and impressions seemed to leak through the usual memory blocks he left. Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad thing if he wanted to trust a certain Sakurazuka Seishirou. 

After all, they'd be meeting very soon. 

Seishirou decided he had all the information he needed… and he had two promises to keep. It would be rude to keep Subaru-kun waiting.   


End file.
